Chapter 499 - 300: Changes from Celestial Destiny and Fortune, the Grand Consort Selection Ceremony, Filling the Harem?

Qianyuan Hall.

A group of Cabinet Ministers, including Chief Minister Chen Ke, his maternal grandfather Wang He’fu, the former strategist Guo Youhuai, Shen Yuanxi, and others, all sat upright and solemn within the grand hall.

Lu Mingyuan sat high on his throne, looking down upon them. His expression was calm as he spoke:

"So, the Ninth Prince’s departure from the Capital City is all thanks to Xun Yu?"

In the past Half an Hour, Chen Ke, on behalf of the Cabinet, had already informed him of everything that had transpired in the Capital City during his absence.

This included news about the remnants of various rebellions and the movements of the master-disciple duo, Xun Yu and Lu Yunhuang.

That was right.

A master and his disciple.

Through Chen Ke, Lu Mingyuan learned that the esteemed Nan Zhou National Preceptor had been hiding in the Jiangling Royal Mansion all this time.

He had hidden there for a full two years.

For two years, he hadn’t revealed the slightest trace of his presence. ’He really was well-hidden.’

Furthermore, during Lu Mingyuan’s absence from the Capital City, Lu Yunhuang had staged a rebellion and taken most of the Tributors from the Endless Pavilion with him.

He had chosen to leave the Capital City of his own accord.

This surprised Lu Mingyuan.

He had long ago prepared countermeasures against Xun Yu.

The rebellion in the Endless Pavilion was a minor matter. He had anticipated it, as they were not his core followers. With Luo Ying also absent from the Endless Pavilion, it was only natural for their loyalty to waver.

He had already been quietly stripping the Endless Pavilion of its power.

So what if Lu Yunhuang took them away?

When Lu Mingyuan was in the Eastern Palace Mansion, it was normal for him to rely on the Endless Pavilion. Any extra help was welcome.

Since ascending the throne, the Endless Pavilion’s usefulness had greatly diminished.

Its status was also a far cry from what it once was.

As the Emperor, with the Royal Court Tributors and the experts of the Three Academies under his command, the Endless Pavilion had become disposable.

What surprised him was this:

Lu Yunhuang had actually been willing to give up the perfect opportunity of his absence from the capital, choosing instead to flee.

’This doesn’t seem like Xun Yu’s style at all.’

Since Lu Yunhuang was Xun Yu’s disciple, he would naturally have inherited his master’s ways and coveted the Great Yan’s Fortune with great intensity.

Yet now, he had given up on his own initiative.

The only explanation was that Xun Yu was the one giving instructions from behind the scenes.

’But why would Xun Yu choose to leave the Capital City?’

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t figure it out for the life of him.

He had been guarding against Xun Yu’s next move, going so far as to find Wen Sheng and have him leave a clone at the Wenchang Pavilion in the Imperial Capital.

To be honest, getting Wen Sheng to personally guard the Imperial Capital was unrealistic.

Their relationship wasn’t that deep.

Leaving a clone behind was already a huge favor.

The original pretext for stationing the clone there was to serve as Chen Ke’s Guardian.

As an Eleventh Realm cultivator, Chen Ke no longer actually needed a Guardian. The reason was merely a facade to save face for everyone involved.

He just hadn’t expected that someone of Xun Yu’s caliber would be willing to leave so readily.

Not even Wen Sheng’s clone had managed to keep him there.

It all turned out to be nothing more than a harmless farce.

"In this humble servant’s opinion, Xun Yu must have been wary of Your Majesty’s power, which is why he chose to leave."

Wang He’fu spoke up softly at this moment.

"Mr. Wang’s words are reasonable."

Su Youhuai smiled and nodded in agreement.

"With the war of the Seven Kingdoms concluded, and with Your Majesty having obtained the Golden Crow Country’s Celestial Mandate, the Great Yan has now secured its footing. Even with Xun Yu’s immense abilities, he cannot shake the foundations of our dynasty."

Lu Mingyuan shook his head, disappointed. "I thought Xun Yu would give me a big surprise, or at least stir up some trouble. I never expected him to flee like a stray dog with its tail between its legs."

He seemed to recall something and pressed,

"You all already know about the Celestial Destiny and Fortune of the Golden Crow Country?"

Lu Mingyuan was rather surprised that they all knew he had obtained the Golden Crow Celestial Mandate.

He had returned in a hurry this time and hadn’t yet told them the details of the war of the Seven Kingdoms, including the news that the Golden Crow Country had once again become a vassal state.

Now, it seemed they already knew everything.

Chen Ke explained, "Celestial Destiny and Fortune is the very source of a nation. Once blessed by the Celestial Mandate, the entire Great Yan undergoes a transformation. The higher a Cultivator’s cultivation, the more obvious this feeling becomes."

"For example, this servant has already reached the Twelfth Realm, all thanks to this wisp of Celestial Destiny and Fortune."

"The Chief Minister has already reached the Realm of Saints and Sages?"

Lu Mingyuan was quite shocked to hear this news.

Looking across the entire Central Plains World...

...the only person whose cultivation speed could compare to his own was probably Chen Ke.

He himself had reached the Celestial Human realm in three years.

And hadn’t Chen Ke also reached the Realm of Saints and Sages in three years?

Of course, before Chen Ke became famous, he had been stuck in the second realm for over a decade, making him little different from a Mortal.

Ever since his enlightenment, every time he advanced his realm, he would jump three or four levels at a time.

First, he stepped into the Seventh Realm overnight.

After his sudden enlightenment into the Learning of the Mind, he was promoted to a Great Sage.

In less than a year.

He was already one of the Saints and Sages.

Hearing this, Su Youhuai, Wang He’fu, and the others all showed looks of envy.

Chen Ke’s cultivation progress was simply monstrous.

There was a simple reason for this.

Lu and Wang’s Heart Learning was spreading throughout the Central Plains World at an extremely fast pace, being accepted by more and more people.

When a school of thought becomes widely disseminated, the cultivation of its founder, the source of the doctrine, will continuously rise.

It could be seen as an unending stream of incense offerings.

If this continued, in less than ten years, the Confucian Temple would probably have to erect a stone statue of Chen Ke.

This speed was terrifying.

"It’s not just the Prime Minister. Our own cultivation has also improved, we just haven’t reached the point of Breaking Realm."

"Furthermore, the ministers in the court, the experts of the Three Academies, and some of the older Cultivators who were at a bottleneck, have all, one after another, achieved a Breaking Realm. This is all thanks to Your Majesty obtaining the Celestial Destiny and Fortune. The Great Yan now has the qualifications to vie for the next Celestial Mandate."

Shen Yuanxi, who wore a goatee, reported with his hands clasped.

After listening, Lu Mingyuan nodded slightly and mused aloud, "I never imagined that a single wisp of Celestial Destiny and Fortune could produce such astonishing effects."

"If all the Celestial Mandates were gathered in one nation, how terrifying would the effects be?"

Previously, he had only heard about the effects of the Celestial Mandate from ancient texts.

Now, he was experiencing the benefits of Celestial Destiny and Fortune firsthand.

Wang He’fu chuckled softly. "He who obtains the Celestial Mandate shall hold sway over all lands and unite the Four Seas and the Eight Deserts."

"Your Majesty can recall the time when the Grand Ancestor had just founded our nation."

"At that time, the Celestial Destiny and Fortune was at its most powerful and dense. The Wilderness Army and the Holy Nether Army were no match for our Great Yan. Wherever the armies of Great Yan pointed their blades was the land of the king. Among all the worlds, none could contend with us."

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

Even the weakest nation, as long as it gathered all the Celestial Destiny and Fortune, could become a superpower.

So what if its Cultivators were weak? So what if its national power was in decline?

It would be carried to the top regardless.

All sorts of Innate Level and Immortal Level Celestial and Earthly Treasures would emerge, Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands would open up, and Opportunities would be everywhere. You could reach the Middle Fifth Grade just by consuming elixirs. The effect was just that potent.

"By the way, Your Majesty, with you having been away from the capital, there are several major issues that require your decision."

Su Youhuai took out a memorial scroll, preparing to report everything at once.

"What is it?"

"First is the important matter of appointing an heir."

"Your Majesty established a principal wife back when you were in the Cold Palace and the Eastern Palace. However, as of now, none of the women in the Harem, including the Empress and Noble Consort Huo, are with child."

"Therefore, the Harem, along with the imperial court, has decided to hold a consort selection ceremony for the Holy Emperor to fill the Harem."

"This will lay the groundwork for appointing an heir."

As Su Youhuai spoke, he pulled another thick stack of scrolls from his sleeve.

Lu Mingyuan took the scrolls.

He unfurled one and looked.

Inside was a dense, endless list of names!

From birth dates to identity, family status, background, cultivation level, and more—it had everything.

Lu Mingyuan’s hand slipped, and the scroll tumbled to the floor.

WHOOSH!

The scroll looked small, but it actually unrolled for a full ten meters!

...